Keep Calm Under Stress, And Those Around You Will Follow Suit

When life gets stressful, the last thing you need is to be surrounded by other people who are freaking out just as much as you. It's possible to keep everyone calm by projecting calmness yourself, even if you're faking it.

Jeff Urmston at Tiny Buddha recalls a time that he experienced severe turbulence on a flight, but stayed focused on his Rubik's cube while other passengers were screaming:

Having spent the time focused on the cube in front of me, I was surprised when the guy sitting next to me said: "Man, I was freaking out. I was about to lose it, but then I looked over and saw you two just playing with those things. You two were so calm that it helped me calm down too."

The fact is, calmness is contagious, and so is stress. If you're freaked out about a deadline at work, it's just going to stress out your coworkers. Even if you're gnawing pencils in half when nobody's watching, keeping a straight face and being confident when others are around is incredibly important. As for specific tips for dealing with the stress and keeping it from consuming everyone around you, we've got you covered.